Illustrated Contracts: Protecting Workers’ Rights in Cocoa Farming

A formal labor contract is one of the most powerful tools for protecting workers’ rights. Yet in many industries, including cocoa farming, contracts are often missing altogether. This absence can lead to exploitation: excessive working hours, withheld payments, limited rest days, or even the confiscation of workers’ identity cards.

Now, thanks to a new initiative by the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) in partnership with Creative Contracts, founded by Robert de Rooy, this is changing. Together with local communities and five major cocoa companies, they have launched Illustrated Contracts to support workers in Ivory Coast.

Why Illustrated Contracts Matter

Contracts in plain text can be intimidating, inaccessible, or simply ignored. Illustrated Contracts use visual storytelling to make rights and responsibilities clear for everyone, regardless of literacy level. This design approach ensures that workers not only sign agreements, they understand them.

Key features include:

• Clear visuals for terms of employment: conditions, rights, and obligations.

• Performance expectations presented in simple, illustrated “do’s and don’ts.”

• Termination terms explained visually, avoiding hidden surprises.

• Checklist for witnesses to confirm the contract is fair and signed properly.

The Benefits

• Stronger labor rights: Workers know their entitlements to payment, rest days, and fair treatment.

• Reduced disputes: Clear expectations minimize arguments between employers and employees.

• Social protection: Formalizing labor agreements supports better-regulated, more equitable economic growth.

• Practical empowerment: Workers can refer back to the contract as a guide, not just a formality.

Legal Design in Action

This initiative is a powerful example of legal design for vulnerable communities. By transforming a contract from a wall of text into a clear, usable tool, it prevents misunderstandings and protects against exploitation. It also demonstrates that contracts are not only for lawyers, they are tools for people, communities, and businesses to build trust and fairness.

👉 Explore the International Cocoa Initiative x Creative Contracts here.

 🎥 You can watch the short video introducing the Illustrated Contracts initiative here.

A Step Forward for Human Rights

With support from the ICI, the Human Rights Committee, and cocoa companies, the Illustrated Contracts initiative is setting a new benchmark for ethical business practices. It shows how design, law, and community collaboration can align to protect workers, reduce risks of forced labor, and strengthen sustainable development.

This is more than a legal innovation, it’s a human rights milestone.